Of Conversations in Kitchens
by Northwestern
Summary: A few days after the events of Journey's End, the Doctor's having trouble sleeping.
**Author's Note:** Written back in 2011, but apparently not uploaded here.

Written on a whim. I don't normally do this sort of thing. About the title. RTD said that when all this scifi business is over, he wants to write about people having conversations in kitchens. He can start by writing for my favorites again.

* * *

The harsh lights of the kitchen surprised him as they flipped on, making it appear as though it were day at just half two in the morning.

"My god! I thought you were a bleeding murderer sitting here in the dark! What'd you go and do that for?"

"Jackie?"

"Of course it's me! What are you doing in here?"

"I was just… I thought… I couldn't fall asleep." He said, running his free hand through his hair, the other clutching a half-eaten banana. Dressed in a pair of Pete's pajamas, he looked out of place in the bright kitchen. Jackie was surprised he was wearing the pajamas she had fetched for him just a few nights ago. She figured if he did ever change for bed (did he actually sleep? _does_ he now?) it would be into something still resembling a suit.

Jackie frowned. "Go to bed. No decent person's up at this hour," she paused seeing his face at her last comment, " _I_ was taking care of Tony, thank you very much." She paused. "I'm sure Rose is wondering where you're off to anyway." She turned to fix herself a cup of tea.

The Doctor said nothing in reply and finished his banana silently, then got up to leave.

"Goodnight, Jackie."

Jackie turned to him, taking a drink of her tea before speaking. "Doctor, you and Rose, you're getting on alright, aren't you?"

"Jackie…" this really wasn't a topic he wanted to discuss.

She continued. "I'm not blind, I know it's been rough this past week, but you'll figure it out. She loves you, you love her, it's just the bits in-between that need straightening out. She'll come around."

"I hope so," came his uncharacteristically soft reply.

"Oi! I was there on that ship of yours! I spent five years looking after her in this world, and let me tell you, that's the happiest I've seen her in a long while!"

" _His_ ship."

"Oh don't you start that load of bull with me! You may have grown out of a rotting limb, but you're still him...you...whatever! Would you rather we just all call you Albus?"

The Doctor made a face.

"That's what I thought. Far as I can tell, you're the same man who spent all of Christmas a few years back sleeping the day away in bed!"

"I was still regenerating! I had just _died_ , Jackie!"

"No need to be so dramatic about it, lying about until the last second!"

"Oi! I saved the entire Earth that day!"

"Would it have killed you to do it in a timely manner? I had an entire Christmas dinner to cook!"

"Jackie, you bought that turkey from _Tesco_!"

She sniffed. "Didn't stop you from taking seconds!" Jackie glanced over at the clock on the stove. 03:12, it read. "My god! It's past three in flipping morning!"

"I'm aware, Jackie. I'm a, well, part-Time Lord."

She rolled her eyes. "There's also three clocks in the kitchen, genius. Now go to bed. I can't see why you'd rather be down here moping anyway."

"I wasn't moping!"

"Yeah, and I'm the Queen of England! Off to bed with you. I can't blame my daughter for not wanting to snog you if you look awful tomorrow because you didn't get any sleep!"

"Well...I...We haven't..." he stammered, trying to find the right explanation for what he and Rose had, no _have_. Or was it had?

She threw her hands up in frustration. "I don't want to know what you got up to in that box before! But right here, right _now_ my daughter is upstairs and even though things may be confusing right now for her, she'll see that you're here. The same stubborn, annoying man you've always been."

The Doctor was a bit taken aback by the level of concern she was showing him. If he knew one thing, it was to never get on the bad side of Jacqueline Tyler.

The Doctor walked to the door and paused. "Goodnight Jackie. Thank you-" he gestured with his hands between her and himself, "-for this."

Jackie turned to face him from washing out her mug in the sink and smiled at him. "Anytime, love."

He smiled back at her, then there was a sudden weight crashing into him. She was _hugging_ him? Jackie spoke against the cotton of his borrowed pajamas. "Thank you Doctor. Thank you for bringing her back to me. _Thank you_." She released him and looked up at him. "You know, you may be some weird Frankenstein alien, but you're useful once in a while. And goodness knows my daughter seems to like you enough. Goodnight, Doctor."

"'Night Jackie."

The Doctor continued on his way up the stairs.

Perhaps Rose was still awake as well.


End file.
